Industrial production in Austria increased 5.7 percent year-on-year in March of 2019, following an upwardly revised 7.1 percent rise in the previous month. Output advanced at a softer pace for manufacturing (4 percent from 6 percent in February); electricity, gas, steam & air conditioning supply (6.8 percent from 15.6 percent) and mining & quarrying (15.2 percent from 19 percent). On the other hand, production advanced further for water supply, sewerage, waste management & remediation activities (14.7 percent from 10.2 percent). On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, industrial production fell 1 percent, down from an upwardly revised 1.4 percent gain in February.

Standard & Poor's credit rating for Austria stands at AA+ with stable outlook. Moody's credit rating for Austria was last set at Aa1 with stable outlook. Fitch's credit rating for Austria was last reported at AA+ with positive outlook. DBRS's credit rating for Austria is AAA with stable outlook.

Austria's trade deficit rose to EUR 286.5 million in February 2019 from EUR 197 million in the same period a year ago. Imports surged 9.6 percent to EUR 13.15 billion, driven by purchases from non-EU countries (22.1 percent) and the EU (4.8 percent). At the same time, exports advanced at a slower 9 percent to EUR 12.87 billion, led by sales to the EU (10.4 percent) and to non-EU countries (5.5 percent). Considering the first two months of 2019, the trade deficit widened to EUR 679 million from EUR 400 million in the same period of 2018, as imports jumped 8.3 percent and exports went up 7.2 percent.

Exports from Austria advanced 9 percent year-on-year to EUR 12.87 billion in February 2019, as sales to the EU rose 10.4 percent and those to non-EU countries went up 5.5 percent. Year-to-date, shipments went up 7.2 percent to EUR 25.50 billion.

The unemployment rate in Austria decreased to 7.3 percent in April of 2019 from 7.7 percent in the corresponding month of the previous year. The number of unemployed persons went down by 12.6 thousand from a year ago, to 296.3 thousand. By gender, the number of women unemployed fell by 1.7 thousand to 139.5 thousand and the number of men unemployed declined by 10.8 thousand to 156.8 thousand. In March, the jobless rate was higher at 7.4 percent.

Producer prices in Austria rose 1.5 percent year-on-year in March 2019, down from a 1.6 percent increase in the previous month. It is the lowest producer inflation since April last year, as prices advanced less for energy (3.4 percent vs 3.8 percent in February), capital goods (1.2 percent vs 1.3 percent) and intermediate goods (1.0 percent vs 1.2 percent). In contrast, cost rose further for consumer goods (0.5 percent vs 0.2 percent). On a monthly basis, producer prices went down 0.1 percent, after being unchanged in the previous month.

Austria's economy advanced 0.3 percent on quarter in the three months to March of 2019, slowing from a 0.4 percent growth in the prior period and in line with market expectations, preliminary figures showed. This is the slowest expansion since Q1 2015, as government spending rose slightly less (0.4 percent vs 0.5 percent in Q4). Meanwhile, private consumption (0.4 percent vs 0.3 percent) and fixed investment (0.6 percent, the same pace as in Q4) continued to advance. At the same time, net trade contributed positively to growth, as exports and imports rose 0.4 percent each (from 0.6 percent and 0.5 percent in Q4, respectively). Year-on-year, the GDP grew 1.1 percent, much slower than 2.4 percent in the previous quarter and marking the weakest expansion since Q2 2015.

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.2 in April 2019 from 50.0 in the previous month, signalling the first contraction in manufacturing activity since March 2015. New orders decreased for the fourth month running and at the fastest pace since November 2014 while output growth nearly stalled. Meantime, the rate of job creation slowed further as capacity pressures continued to ease. Also, purchasing activity fell for the second straight month and the most in four years. Likewise, supplier delivery times shortened again and to the greatest extent since July 2013. On the price front, input cost inflation was at 31-month low. Looking ahead, business confidence was the weakest since last November's near four-year low.

Austria’s current account surplus narrowed to EUR 1.91 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018 from EUR 2.35 in the same period of the previous year. The services surplus decreased to EUR 2.43 billion from EUR 2.67 billion a year earlier and the primary income surplus fell to EUR 0.25 billion from EUR 0.40 billion. Additionally, the secondary income gap widened to EUR 1.02 billion from EUR 0.59 billion. Meanwhile, the goods account shifted to a EUR 0.25 billion surplus from a EUR 0.13 billion deficit in the last quarter of 2017. Considering full 2018, the current account posted a surplus of EUR 8.99 billion compared to a EUR 7.22 billion surplus in 2017.

The Gross Domestic Product per capita in Austria was last recorded at 45436.69 US dollars in 2017, when adjusted by purchasing power parity (PPP). The GDP per Capita, in Austria, when adjusted by Purchasing Power Parity is equivalent to 256 percent of the world's average.